Lobelia plant named &#39;LOBZ0005&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Lobelia  plant named ‘LOBZ0005’ particularly distinguished by large, white flowers, strong stems with long inflorescences, dark green foliage, medium sized leaves, medium plant size, free branching, and mounding to trailing plant habit.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Lobelia erinus L.

Varietal denomination: ‘LOBZ0005’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia, botanically known as Lobelia erinus, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘LOBZ0005’.

‘LOBZ0005’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar has large, white flowers, strong stems with long inflorescences, dark green foliage, narrow leaves, free branching, and a medium sized, mounding to trailing plant habit.

‘LOBZ0005’ originated from a hybridization made in May 2008 in Andijk, The Netherlands. The female parent was an unpatented, proprietary Lobelia plant designated ‘LOB08-213-4’, having smaller flowers, darker green leaves, and a mounding plant habit, while plant habit of ‘LOBZ0005’ is distinctly more trailing.

The male parent of ‘LOBZ0005’ was the proprietary Lobelia plant designated ‘LOB7-185-1’, unpatented, having white flowers, lighter green and glossy foliage, and longer stems than ‘LOBZ0005’.

The resulting seeds were sown in June 2008, and ‘LOBZ0005’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in September 2008 in a greenhouse in Andijk, The Netherlands.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘LOBZ0005’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in the summer of 2009 in a controlled environment in Andijk, The Netherlands.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plant initiated in the spring of 2014 in Andijk , The Netherlands, and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for ‘LOBZ0005’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

‘LOBZ0005’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.

A Plant Breeder's right for this cultivar was applied for with the European Union on Jun. 26, 2014, No. 2014/1695. ‘LOBZ0005’ has not been made publicly available more than one year prior to the filing of this application.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of these characteristics distinguishes this Lobelia as a new and distinct variety.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photograph drawings show typical flower and foliage characteristics of ‘LOBZ0005’ with colors being as true as possible with an illustration of this type. The photographic drawings show in FIG. 1 a close-up of the flowers and in FIG. 2 a flowering potted plant of the new variety.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs were taken in early May 2014 from plants grown in a greenhouse trial in Andijk, The Netherlands. The plants were grown in 10.5 cm pots and were approximately 12 weeks of age.

The observations and measurements were taken in Andijk, The Netherlands in May 2015 using about 14 week old plants in 10.5 cm pots from a spring trial in the greenhouse.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.), 2001.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘LOBZ0005’ AND A MOST SIMILAR VARIETY ‘LOBWHI’ commercially known as ‘Laguna White’ (U.S. Ser. No. ‘LOBZ0005’ 12/002,101, abandoned) Leaf shape: Petiole, dentate, obove No petiole, light dentate, ablanceolate Leaf size: Large broader leafs Small leafs Flower, Larger: 2.1 cm Smaller: 1.4 cm diameter: Plant habit: Semi trailing, compact Trailing plant plant

-   Plant:     -   -   Growth and habit.—Vigorous growth habit; dense, and freely             branching with medium internodes, trailing to mounding.         -   Height.—About 12-17 cm (from top of soil).         -   Height (inflorescence included).—About 35 cm.         -   Width (horiz. diameter).—From 35-55 cm.         -   Branching characteristics.—10 main stems, each with 3-4             secondary branches.         -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant.—About 12 weeks             for a 12 cm pot.         -   Garden performance.—Used as patio planters, in mixed             container plantings, or in garden beds.         -   Time to initiate and develop roots.—21-28 days at 20-23°             Centigrade. -   Roots:     -   -   Number of days to initiate roots.—About 15 days at about 22             degrees C.         -   Number of days to produce a rooted cutting.—21-25 days.         -   Type.—Fibrous and freely branching.         -   Color.—RHS N155B. -   Foliage:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Leaf shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Mucronulate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire to slightly incised.         -   Leaf length.—3.0-5.0 cm.         -   Leaf width.—0.7-1.0 cm.         -   Immature leaf, color upper surface.—RHS 136B.         -   Immature leaf, color lower surface.—RHS 137B.         -   Mature color upper surface.—RHS 145B.         -   Mature color lower surface.—RHS 146B.         -   Venation type.—Pinnate.         -   Venation color, upper surface.—Indistinct.         -   Venation color, lower surface.—Indistinct.         -   Texture.—Weak pubescence, both surfaces.         -   Petiole.—No petiole, leaves are sessile. -   Stem:     -   -   Characteristics.—With slightly strengthened, protruding             edges, side branches are developed at almost every node.         -   Stem length.—15-20 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.3-0.4 cm.         -   Internode length.—2.5-4.0 cm.         -   Color.—Mainly RHS 137B.         -   Texture.—Very sparsely hirsute. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Raceme, composed of single flowers in an alternate             arrangement with one flower per node, subtended by a small             leaflet.         -   Blooming habit.—Continuously through the growing season from             spring to the fall.         -   Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—About 30 per             container/15 per plant.         -   Quantity of flowers per inflorescence.—Up to 15 open             flowers, and additional buds.         -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—4-7 days,             depending on temperature.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Inflorescence length.—1.9-2.2 cm. -   Peduncle:     -   -   Color.—From RHS 144B to RHS 145A.         -   Length.—6-7 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.2 cm.         -   Texture.—Pubescent. -   Pedicels:     -   -   Color.—RHS 146A.         -   Length.—1.3-1.6 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.1 cm.         -   Texture.—Pubescent. -   Flower:     -   -   Corolla type and shape.—Single, zygomorphic; upper lip is             formed by two small petals, lower lip has three larger             petals; petals are fused at the base forming a relatively             long funnel-shaped tube. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Shape.—Oblong.         -   Length.—1.8-2.0 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.3-0.4 cm.         -   Color (at tight bud).—RHS 157C, greenish white. -   Immature flower:     -   -   Main color upper surface.—RHS 155B.         -   Main color lower surface.—RHS 155B for the top, RHS 155A at             the base.         -   Immature flower, width.—1.0 cm. -   Mature flower:     -   -   Flower, (horizontal) length.—2.0 cm.         -   Flower, (horizontal) width.—2.0 cm.         -   Flower, vertical length (depth).—2.1 cm.         -   Color upper lip, upper surface.—RHS 155A.         -   Color upper lip, lower surface.—RHS 155A.         -   Upper petal lobes, length (from the tube opening).—1.1-1.2             cm.         -   Upper petal lobes, width.—0.3-0.4 cm.         -   Color lower lip, upper surface.—RHS 155B.         -   Color lower lip, lower surface.—RHS 155B.         -   Nectaries at base of lower petals.—RHS 145C.         -   Lower petal lobes, length (from the corolla             opening).—1.1-1.4 cm.         -   Lower petal lobes, width.—0.7-1.0 cm.         -   Tube, color (outside).—RHS 157A.         -   Tube length.—0.9-1.0 cm.         -   Tube width.—0.3-0.4 cm. -   Petal:     -   -   Petal shape, lobes of the lower lip.—Obovate.         -   Apex shape.—Acute.         -   Base.—Fused.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture upper surface.—Glabrous.         -   Texture lower surface.—Short hair, mainly along the mid             vein. -   Calyx:     -   -   Shape.—5 sepals in a whorl, slanting outwards, fused at the             base.         -   Sepal color.—RHS 138B.         -   Sepal length (free ends).—0.8 cm, respective 1.1 cm when             including the funnel shaped part.         -   Width.—0.2 cm.         -   Shape.—Ligulate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Fused.         -   Texture.—Pubescent. -   Reproductive organs: -   Stamens:     -   -   Quantity.—5.         -   Filament, color.—RHS 155A.         -   Filament length.—0.5-0.7 cm.         -   Filament, diameter.—0.1 cm.         -   Anther color.—RHS 187B.         -   Anther length.—0.2 cm.         -   Pollen amount.—Little.         -   Pollen color.—RHS 3B to RHS 3C. -   Pistil:     -   -   Quantity per flower.—1.         -   Length.—1.0 cm.         -   Stigma color.—RHS 147B.         -   Stigma length.—0.2 cm.         -   Style color.—RHS 1458.         -   Style length.—From 0.7-0.8 cm. -   Fruit and seed set: Occasionally observed outdoors -   Disease and insect resistance: Resistance and susceptibility typical     for the species, no special observations made 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia named ‘LOBZ0005’ as shown and described herein. 